This report presents small area poverty maps and measures for Kenya at unprecedented levels of geographic detail. The resulting database greatly advances our understanding of where the poorest of Kenya are located. The approach uses a recently developed statistical technique to combine detailed information on household expenditures from a sample of survey data with complete geographic coverage provided by the 1999 Kenya Population and Housing Census(click here for technical details).This enabled researchers to estimate reliable measures of well-being for very small geographic areas (divisions and locations as well as provinces and districts) using statistical simulation techniques.

The new and detailed poverty measures presented in this report can be used to help design and implement pro-poor development strategies that are both effective and inclusive. The poverty maps themselves provide information rather than answers. When combined with socio-economic, environmental and other information, the maps provide a rich source of information useful for development planning and policy formulation at community level.

The high-resolution maps will help the Government and development partners target their projects for greatest benefits to the poor. More precise geographic targeting of pro-poor expenditures, for example, can maximize the coverage of the poor while minimizing leakage to the non-poor. Moreover, when these maps and data are complemented by information, such as access to, quantity and quality of, public services and education, they will help policy makers with more transparent and evidence-based targeting of public resources and service delivery.